Duan Rong had already arrived at the steps beneath the ritual platform.
Nine tiers of steps. Nine steps to ascend the platform!
The steps weren’t particularly high; the nine tiers reached just to Duan Rong’s chest.
Standing before the steps, Duan Rong saw Jiang Hanyan, who had been playing her zither with her head lowered, lift her eyes slightly to glance at him, then lower her head again to continue playing.
Jiang Hanyan was well aware of where Duan Rong stood, as she was all too familiar with that spot.
Nine years ago, she stood exactly where Duan Rong was now, and after barely stepping onto the staircase, she fainted. Even so, that year she ventured the deepest.
Although Jiang Hanyan only gave Duan Rong a fleeting glance, she was truly curious whether this plain-looking young man would succeed in stepping onto the stone stairs, or whether he would stumble just as she did then.
Since her failed attempt years ago, Jiang Hanyan hadn’t seen anyone reach the stone steps as she did.
The young man before her was the first in nine years.
Jiang Hanyan continued to play, but had already etched Duan Rong’s image in her mind.
Curiosity over whether Duan Rong could step on the stone stairs wasn’t limited to Jiang Hanyan on the platform, but also the old fellows on Gu Feng Mountain, along with many registered disciples behind him, among them Xiao Yu whose eyes lingered intently.
As the slight sting in Duan Rong’s Divine Soul subsided, he lifted his right foot slightly, inching forward to set half a step onto the stone stairs.
"Look! He’s taken half a step forward," an elder with a head full of white hair on Gu Feng Mountain exclaimed.
Zhu He heard this with some disdain but said nothing.
Duan Rong took half a step forward, feeling a faint prickling pain pass through his Divine Soul.
He steadied his body, waited for the pangs to fade, then looked at Jiang Hanyan on the platform, who was playing the zither with her head down, her veil obscuring her face but not her elegant, ethereal quality.
Jiang Hanyan noticed Duan Rong’s gaze, furrowing her eyebrows ever so slightly.
But just then, Duan Rong’s other foot landed on the steps too.
Both feet stood firmly on the Tier One stone step.
It’s a successful ascent!
The melody Jiang Hanyan played faltered slightly.
"Is it... a success?"
As Duan Rong stepped with his other foot, a prick of pain shot through his Divine Soul, and he couldn’t help but grimace.
It was the most painful sting he had encountered along his journey.
As his right foot stepped forward onto the step, his body only tilted slightly forward, but once his left foot joined, the entirety of his body stood on the first tier stone step. It was a genuine step forward! His entire being had advanced a step.
Jiang Hanyan gave Duan Rong a deep look before returning her melody to its smooth clarity.
Jiang Hanyan was purely aloof by nature; she knew well that approximately every twenty or thirty years, someone succeeds in stepping up to the platform.
Yet, in her nine years here, no one had succeeded, nor anyone who even matched her then in reaching the steps before the platform.
Thus, before Duan Rong, she hadn’t seen anyone surpass her previous attempt.
But now, there stood someone, before her, on the tier.
It was a blow to her aloof pride.
On Gu Feng Mountain, all the elders were jubilant.
"Our Taiyi Sect indeed has no lack of talent, generation after generation!"
"This child must be cultivated well, lest his talent be squandered."
When the sting in Duan Rong’s Divine Soul receded, he took another half step, placing his right foot onto the Tier Two stone step.
"Look, he’s moved again!"
Now silent, the jubilant elders on Gu Feng Mountain were all fixated on Duan Rong ascending the steps.
Seeing Duan Rong’s body slightly leaning forward again, Jiang Hanyan’s eyes flickered, but the tune remained steady.
Duan Rong was also intent on Jiang Hanyan, not for her beauty, but he was intently listening to her zither playing.
As before, he was unaware that music could nurture the Divine Soul.
If his guess was correct, Jiang Hanyan’s music might be a form of Divine Soul Technique as well.
Upon stepping his right foot onto the Tier Two stone, only his leg moved, his body leaning forward a touch, resulting in only a slight sharp pain flitting through Duan Rong’s Divine Soul.
After gaining steadiness, Duan Rong suddenly raised his left foot onto the second tier stone step.
As he settled down, a surge of pain seized his Divine Soul, causing him to gasp with gritted teeth.
"Hiss~"
Jiang Hanyan witnessed Duan Rong’s comical expression, smiling slightly, yet her play remained steady.
Jiang Hanyan wasn’t prone to being startled, though her tune faltered earlier as Duan Rong was the first in nine years to surpass her.
Upon Duan Rong ascending from the first tier to the second tier, she could now play unaffected!
"He’s reached the second tier!" An elder with white hair on Gu Feng Mountain remarked again.
But now, nobody responded, as all were waiting, waiting to see how far Duan Rong could go.
Third tier? Sixth tier? Or could he reach the ritual platform?
No one knew better than them what ascending the ritual platform truly implied.
Divine Soul strength is the essence of cultivation!
Duan Rong didn’t leave them waiting too long, as only moments later, he stepped forward again.
His right foot was now on the third tier stone step.
Duan Rong took a deep breath, recalling the pain as he stood on the second tier stone step.
He lifted his left foot to stand on the third tier stone step, the stab of pain in his Divine Soul greater than before, causing Duan Rong to grit his teeth and let out a muffled groan.